Nicole
Martin was only eight years old when the vampire slaves rose up in
rebellion and killed her family. Now she devotes her life to finding a
vaccine against vampirism, hoping to wipe out her memories—along with
every bloodsucker on the planet. But there’s one thing she cannot
destroy: her searing, undeniable attraction for the one man she should
hate and fear the most . . .

A VAMPIRE OUT FOR REVENGE

A
member of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan, Riker is haunted by
demons of his own. When he recognizes Nicole and remembers how her
family enslaved his loved ones, his heart burns for vengeance. But when
he kidnaps Nicole and holds her in a secret lair, his mortal enemy
becomes his soul obsession, his greatest temptation, and, perhaps, his
only salvation—a hot-blooded lover who could heal him with her touch . .
. or bury him forever."

Nicole
is a human woman and New-found CEO of Daedalus Corp. She inherited the
company from her parents who were massacred in a vampire rebellion
attack when she was a young girl. Her illegitimate half-brother, Chuck,
has been ruining it in her place until she was ready to take the reins.
But what she thinks she is getting may be more than she expected.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Summary: "Waterfire Saga is an epic new series set in the depths of the ocean where six mermaids seek to save their world.

Written by Carnegie Medal winning author of A Gathering Light, Jennifer Donnelly.

When
Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of
her betrothal, her biggest worry should be about reuniting with
handsome Prince Mahdi, her childhood crush. Instead she finds herself
haunted by strange dreams foretelling the return of an ancient evil, and
dealing with the deaths of her parents as assassins storm the betrothal
ceremony, plunging the city into chaos.

Led only by her shadowy
dreams and pursued by the invading army, Serafina and her best friend
Neela embark on a quest to avenge her parents' death and prevent a war
between the mer nations. In the process they discover a plot that
threatens their - and our - world's very existence."

Review: This was a decent underwater
fantasy-adventure that has potential. And yet for all the good it is,
there is also some head-spinning vocabulary. Seraphina is the
heir the kingdom and her whole life seems set before her before and
attack destroys her apparent path. But just before the attack she has a
'dream' of a prophecy she must help with. For she is one of 6 that
must save the sea.This books word choice and creation had me
utterly overwhelmed at first. We are given a lot of made up words,
terms, names and places. Seriously, every paragraph seemed to have at
least 3 new words. This continues throughout the books but is a little
less overwhelming thank goodness. But the beginning was so bad I almost
DNFed this. Some were just a play on words (like Merlfriend instead of
Girlfriend) . And then others are real words in all sorts of languages!
We are given Italian, Qin, Arabic, Brazilian slang, Portuguese,
Romanian, Greek...It gets worse... we also have several made up
languages including Mermish, Dracdemara, Rurus, and more!! You know
Scuttle from "Disney's The Little Mermaid" and how he calls a fork an
dinglehopper? Well there is A LOT of that type of wording happening and
it leaves us guessing what they are talking about. Sometimes i just
gave up and went with it like I would a Dr Seuss book where it just
isn't meant to make sense. Leaving all that aside, the
adventure is quite good. Although I must say the attack on Seraphina's
home had me sad. I always put mermaids in a happy place so reading
about them dying left a pout on my face. Some of the imagery is pretty
like when we hear about Seraphina's room or when they change her look to
disguise her. Seraphina is a nice mermaid but very insecure to
her role. Neela, her best friend and companion, is a stronger
character that I really liked. We get other characters including Blu,
Ling and many others. There is betrayal, death and action...a
small dash of romance...loyalty and friends...all mixed together is a
"Save the World" adventure. I will read the next one. I am
curious how it ends but I do warn new readers, be sure to have patience
and focus when you start reading this!

*I received a copy of
this book from Disney in exchange for a fair and honest review.
All opinions expressed are strictly my own.*

Summary: "Though Raku and
Chitoge's false love is off to a rocky start, they have everyone fooled!
However, Raku's still hung up on his childhood sweetheart and wears a
pendant around his neck as a memento. But one big problem prevents him
from finding the girl whom he promised to marry—he can't remember her
name or face! To further complicate matters, Onodera, Raku's current
crush who also harbors secret feelings for him, accidentally overhears
the two arguing over their false relationship!"

Review:Which one is it?! This book adds more complexity as we begin to really
question who Raku's promise was with. Filled with humor, hints of
romance and a couple beatings we are offered this next installment to
the series.

Onodera is so sweet and adorable. I love her. But
her shy nature can also be a point of frustration. I wanted to shout
"Just show him already!" a few times. She certainly is most likely
candidate for the promise, but I don't know...

Summary: "It’s hate at first
sight... Rather, a knee-to-the-head at first sight when Raku Ichijo
meets Chitoge Kirisaki! Unfortunately, Raku’s gangster father arranges a
false love match with their rival’s daughter—who just so happens to be
Chitoge! However, Raku’s searching for his childhood sweetheart from ten
years ago, with a pendant around his neck as a memento, but he can't
even remember her name or face!"

Review:A cute beginning!

Raku is your typical decent, average guy in
high school who is given a nasty surprise when he gets hope. He has a
fiancee!! And she is none to thrilled about this (or him) either. She
is very pretty but has a violent side. Her name is Chitoge.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Bestselling
Star Wars veteran James Luceno gives Grand Moff Tarkin the Star Wars:
Darth Plagueis treatment, bringing a legendary character from A New Hope
to full, fascinating life.

He’s the scion of an honorable and
revered family. A dedicated soldier and distinguished legislator. Loyal
proponent of the Republic and trusted ally of the Jedi Order. Groomed by
the ruthless politician and Sith Lord who would be Emperor, Governor
Wilhuff Tarkin rises through the Imperial ranks, enforcing his authority
ever more mercilessly . . . and zealously pursuing his destiny as the
architect of absolute dominion.

Rule through the fear of force
rather than force itself, he advises his Emperor. Under Tarkin’s
guidance, an ultimate weapon of unparalleled destruction moves ever
closer to becoming a terrifying reality. When the so-called Death Star
is completed, Tarkin is confident that the galaxy’s lingering pockets of
Separatist rebellion will be brought to heel—by intimidation . . . or
annihilation.

Until then, however, insurgency remains a genuine
threat. Escalating guerrilla attacks by resistance forces and newfound
evidence of a growing Separatist conspiracy are an immediate danger the
Empire must meet with swift and brutal action. And to bring down a band
of elusive freedom fighters, the Emperor turns to his most formidable
agents: Darth Vader, the fearsome new Sith enforcer as remorseless as he
is mysterious; and Tarkin—whose tactical cunning and cold-blooded
efficiency will pave the way for the Empire’s supremacy . . . and its
enemies’ extinction.

------------------------------------------------------------

They call them ‘husks’, the demons that cross the Farfall Mountains, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. No incursion goes unmet; otherwise the cancer would spread until the whole of Aethir was consumed by nightmares.

That’s
why the Maresmen were formed—trackers and warriors charged with holding
back the tide. Each of them is different, uniquely suited to the task
in hand, but one thing they hold in common: they are half-breeds, part
human, part husk; and they are bound by an inviolable rule:

Hunt the husks, or be hunted themselves.

Jebediah
Skayne has been hunting husks his entire adult life, but there’s
something different about the trail leading to the fishing town of
Portis on the shores of the Chalice Sea: no spoor, no footprints;
nothing save the unmistakable feeling of wrongness.

Finding a
husk in Portis would be near impossible for someone who didn’t have the
sixth sense, but the instant Jeb arrives, all trace of the incursion
vanishes. Forced to rely on more mundane methods of investigation, he
starts to uncover a town rife with corruption, where a man will kill you
for looking at a woman the wrong way; a town that’s seen its share of
incursions from the land of nightmares before.

As events start
to slip from his control, he realizes the husk he's come to kill is one
step ahead of the game, and it holds a secret that will shake his world
to the core.

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind
of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other
teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and
no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader
Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do
now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs.
He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Summary: "Penelope lives in a
world of advanced technology but many claim society has yet to catch up.
Marionettes have advanced in the form of robots; lifelike creations
remote controlled to perform super human tasks.

When Penelope
makes a deal with Jed, a marionette-obsessed scientist, she doesn’t
fully realize what she’s getting herself into. In order for Jed to take
her away from the orphanage she lives in, she must first agree to
undergo his experiments and tests, ultimately creating something no one
ever dreamed possible; the first living marionette.

As Jed shows
off his scientific creation to the world, concerns arise surrounding
Penelope’s abilities and what she’s capable of doing. Ordered to somehow
lessen her abilities, Jed makes a desperate attempt to change Penelope
to make her more human, more vulnerable. After Penelope lies to the
officials about her past, Jed makes sure it’s the last one she’ll ever
utter. The truth is now the only thing she is capable of telling.

As
Penelope struggles with her past, her disturbingly new present, and her
uncertain future, she is thrust into a magically twisted world of
mayhem in search of the one thing she wants, but knows she can never
have. The chance to be just a girl again. To be normal. To be real."

Review: Puppet has a very interesting premise. Definitely a different twist on
the Pinocchio tales. More opposite in fact. Pauline C Harris lays out
an interesting foundation for storytelling. Sadly, though, I feel it
fell a bit short of it's potential.

Penelope (Pen for short) is
an orphan girl taken in by a man named Jed. In return for a home, she
had agreed to his experiments on her. Now she is a living marionette.
Now I fell this is a bit of a futuristic time because marionettes are
not dolls on strings. They are instead control by remote control. They
are faster and stronger than humans. But Pen her has a mind and heart
of her own.

Summary: "Hime Kino's dream is to
one day do voice acting like her hero Sakura Aoyama from the Lovely
Blazer anime, and getting accepted to the prestigious Holly Academy's
voice actor department is the first step in the right direction! But
Hime's gruff voice has earned her the scorn of teachers and students
alike. Hime will not let that stand unchallenged. She'll show everyone
that she is too a voice acting princess, whether they like it or not!!

Hime just got her first big break in voice acting, but it means she has
to move out of her house and pretend to be a boy! Her new manager,
Yamada, is willing to put in the extra time to train her personally, and
Hime's hope of being a voice actor seems close to being fulfilled. But
Yamada insists that he'll only use her for male characters. Will she
have to give up on Lovely Blazer to see her dream come true?"

Review: Hime is now living on her own. Part of her deal is showbiz. That and
how, outside of school, she is living a double life acting as a boy to
make it.

This is my favorite volume so far. We get a lot of
fantastic backround information on Mizuki and the girl he liked and once
tried to help. We learn why he is is eager to help Hime. So sweet,
yet so sad. The story drew my closer to the Aqua boys.

Summary: "Thirteen year old Jack
is spending the summer at his Aunt’s house in the country.
Unfortunately, it’s done nothing but rain and he’s stuck in her old
mansion without cable or internet. Bored and alone, he sets out to
explore the house. When he reaches the attic, he finds an intricate and
unusual mural painted on the walls. Life for Jack gets turned upside
down when he stumbles and is transported through a portal into a magical
world.For Jasyra, the daughter of the High King, life couldn’t be
worse. Her father has been turned to glass, her kingdom has been taken
over by the Demon Emperor, and she and her friend, Evooku, have been
exiled. The only way to save the land is to reassemble the Dragon Fyre
Blade, but the Demon Emperor has hidden all six pieces and each is
guarded by great mythical beasts. There is only one person who can help
restore peace, but it has been said that he is not of their land.

When
Jack awakens in the Great Forest of Karandur, he encounters Jasyra and
Evooku. He discovers the only way home is to band together to fight the
evil Lycanthor, a giant werewolf that guards a piece of the Dragon Fyre
Blade. But first they have to make it through an enchanted land full of
danger.

The Queen of Light appears to Jack and delivers a gift,
as well as a revelation. He, Jasyra and Evooku form an unlikely
friendship along the way and lasting bonds are made when they realize
they are Karandur’s only hope. Will the trio be able to defeat Lycanthor
and save the kingdom from an eternity of despair?

The Dragon Fyre Blade: Lycanthor the Werewolf is the first book in a series of six and is written for children 7 - 11 years old"

Review:I started off with the book, amused by the title Lycanthor the Werewolf
being the lycanthropy is the condition of being a werewolf. So simple
play on words there.

Top Ten books on my Fall TBR list. Well I haven't done so good on these in the past. I love this particular TTT but I always fall short when I choose a lot of books I want to read the most. So this time I kept a more practical list of books I have from the library, upcoming or past due review books, etc.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Summary: "I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure,
I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the
rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look
like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked
Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed
for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but
even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission

Review: I want to start off by saying that when I started this book I what I
would think if it. My twisted sense of curiosity is what got the best
of me on this one and I am glad it did. Lots of twisted and backwards
adventure to be found here!

Amy Gunn is your average girl who has
been dealt a bad hadn at life. She has no friends (thanks to nasty Ms.
Madison), her father left when she was young and her mom is is a
druggie. She wants nothing more than to get away from her crappy
trailer life. Well she gets her wish; just no how she expected it.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Summary: "In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane
knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an
international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the
only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one
child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also
knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank
slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under
constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave
face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person
Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both
safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough
to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other,
it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker.
Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them."

Review: Suicide rates are higher than ever in the time period for this book.
Seems mostly similar to current time but medical technology is higher
and civilization control it tighter. Why? because 1 in 3 teens are
offing themselves.

Right from the beginning the program annoys me
in how high risks are decided. I see why people are concerned... But
they are asked these daily questions such as "Are you overwhelmed or
lonely?" Who isn't, once in a while at least, 1 of those things.
Ugh...they need a better set of standards to filter people. You can't
cry in public that is bad. If you know someone who died that is bad and
if you dare contact with someone just out of The Program, WATCH OUT!

Summary: "In order to help her
father, Chiwa Takanashi agrees to an arranged marriage with the company
president, Hokuto Mamiya—a man she doesn’t know—at the request of
Hokuto’s grandfather. Chiwa believes the arrangement isn’t binding, but
her new partner seems to think otherwise. Can two strangers living
together find their way to a happy marriage?!

Chiwa Takanashi has married a total stranger—company president Hokuto Mamiya—to get her father out of debt.

With
her first attempt at making love with her husband foiled, Chiwa starts
going out drinking every night with Yu Yagami. Hokuto blames himself for
what happened, but how long will Chiwa allow her husband to keep her at
a distance?"

Review:Huge turning points finally happen in this volume! Oh and a forewarnign
of lots of smut in this volume. That combined with a kidnapping made
this a fairly intense volume!

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Summary: "It’s 1950, and as the
French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old
Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals
as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life
than the Big Easy has to offer.

She devises a plan get out, but a
mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an
investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her
conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie
is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine
underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling
temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With
characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling
novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich
story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can
shape our destiny."

Review:This is the second book I have read by Ruta Sepetys and I must say she
is quickly becoming a favorite author to me! This is a well researched,
beautifully written 1950's historical. You really get the feel of
being in New Orleans in 1950.

Josie (Jo) is a very well written
character. She is strong, intelligent and very realistic. She is an
extremely believable character with a good blend of strengths and flaws.
She is a teenage girl who lives on her own, and wants desperately to
get out of New Orleans and go to college. With a prostitute for a
mother and no known father her goal seems to be a pipe dream. A sick
friend, and a murder mystery just adds to her troubles.

Summary:"Deep within the desert
lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking
by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the
depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer
Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their riches, but Aladdin may be
just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

After many
adventures, Aladdin finally reaches the great city of Balbadd. There he
reunites with his friend Alibaba hoping to once again capture a dungeon
together. However, a more cruel destiny lies ahead"

Review:Again, this volume continues on a slightly more serious line. While
there are still some great comedic moments, especially when Aladdin
starts acting like an adorable little boy, the intricacy of the plot
deepens.

I went for elemental opposites. And to make it interesting they are for the same series! I have heard some good things about the Akasha series here and even have the first book on my TBR (sadly I will not be reading it for this readathon)

Eila Walker knows luck
is not a friend, so she is downright shocked to inherit a million-dollar
Cape Cod home. And yeah, her new town isn't perfect: the cheerleaders
are heinous clones, the local undertow can kill ya, and her Great Grams
was supposedly fried by lightning in the harbor square. Still, Eila is
hopeful her luckless days are in the past . . . until history decides to
repeat itself.

When drool-worthy Raef O’Reilly becomes her
friendly, yet weirdly protective shadow, Eila thinks life is pretty darn
perfect – until she is hauled beneath the waves by an unnatural
undertow. Revealing coal-black eyes and iron-like strength as he rescues
her, Raef can no longer hide what he is . . . or what she can do. Eila,
last of her kind, can supposedly channel the power of human souls,
while Raef is more adept at stealing them. Even worse, the legend about
her ancestor isn't such a myth, since Eila’s grandmother was one
kick-butt warrior until her lightning-like power backfired. A power that
is written all over Eila's DNA.

Determined to stay one step
ahead of a dangerous clan that is hunting her, Raef, along with three
unlikely allies, will do all they can to protect her. But as hidden
pieces of their brutal histories unravel, Eila begins to understand just
what went down in the harbor square. She soon realizes that following
in her grandmother’s fearless footsteps may be the only way to save
those she loves . . . including Raef.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

After centuries of
religiously motivated war, the world has been split in two. Now the
Blessed Lands are ruled by pure faith, while in the Republic, reason is
the guiding light—two different realms, kept apart and at peace by a
treaty and an ocean.

Children of the Republic, Helena and
Jason were inseparable in their youth, until fate sent them down
different paths. Grief and duty sidetracked Helena’s plans, and Jason
came to detest the hollowness of his ambitions.

These two damaged
souls are reunited when a tiny boat from the Blessed Lands crashes onto
the rocks near Helena’s home after an impossible journey across the
forbidden ocean. On board is a single passenger, a nine-year-old girl
named Kailani, who calls herself “the Daughter of the Sea and the Sky.” A
new and perilous purpose binds Jason and Helena together again, as they
vow to protect the lost innocent from the wrath of the authorities, no
matter the risk to their future and freedom.

But is the
mysterious child simply a troubled little girl longing to return home?
Or is she a powerful prophet sent to unravel the fabric of a godless
Republic, as the outlaw leader of an illegal religious sect would have
them believe? Whatever the answer, it will change them all forever… and
perhaps their world as well.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

One hour to rewrite the
past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there:
swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that
vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just
wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but
the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive
organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But
meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson
herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric
charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so
insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have
happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best
of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young
adult debut.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I remembered my name –
Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, faced with the solemn young
man in the black coat with silver skulls for buttons, I could recall
nothing else about myself.

And then the games began.

The
Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts, and the damage it inflicts
upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win,
and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear.

But what does any of this have to do with Mara? She is about to find out . .

---------------------------------------------------------------------

This world is trying to
kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying
experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted,
which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with
her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating
incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could
just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one
overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called
Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's
other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at
home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing
world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder
alone and a love she never expected.